Late defensive stand enables No. 3 Mount Vernon to hold off Benton Community, 15-13

VAN HORNE — Blowouts are cool and all. But this — THIS — is the good stuff.

“This might have been the most fun I’ve ever had,” Jase Jaspers said after Class 3A third-ranked Mount Vernon fought past Benton Community, 15-13, in a non-district football game Friday night at Bobcat Stadium.

“I live for these kinds of games, close competition. If we want to win a state championship, you have to win the close games.”

Ethan Wood knocked the ball free on Benton’s final, frantic drive, the Mustangs recovered and improved to 3-0.

“I came off the edge where (Benton quarterback Carson Nolan) was rolling, and punched it out,” Wood said.

Mount Vernon had whipped its first two opponents by an 87-12 ledger. Benton (2-1) had romped by a similar 89-13 margin.

This was a 48-minute dandy.

Down 15-6 through the majority of the second half, Benton got closer as a result of a 62-yard, 10-play march that culminated on Mayson Mitchell 10-yard touchdown reception from Nolan with 5:22 to go.

Mount Vernon earned three first downs on the following drive before the Bobcats held on downs with 56 seconds left and no timeouts remaining.

They advanced to the Mustangs 45 before Wood knocked the ball free with 0:22 remaining.

Both defenses were stout. Mount Vernon finished with 241 yards, Benton 190.

Jaspers ran for 75 yards on 14 carries, and Wood was a horse on third- and fourth-and-short.

“We had that in late last year, and put it back in,” Wood said. “It’s good when we need to pound it up the middle.”

Nolan passed for 111 yards for Benton, completing 11 passes to seven different receivers.

Mount Vernon scored on its first drive (six plays, 61 yards), with Kellen Haverback connecting with Watson Krob on a fly pattern for a 33-yard touchdown. Jaspers’ two-point run put the Mustangs in front, 8-0, less than 3 minutes into the game.

After holding Benton to a three-and-out on the subsequent drive, the Mustangs appeared on their way to another quick score, but Eli Patterson intercepted Haverback and returned it to the Benton 33.

The Bobcats then embarked on a lengthy touchdown march. They converted a fourth-and-1, then three straight third downs in a 17-play, 67-yard voyage. Dylan LeFebvere did the honors from 1 yard out to bring the hosts within 8-6.

Mount Vernon made it 15-6 on Wood’s 5-yard TD run with 0:45 left in the half.

Take away the scoring drive, and Benton’s other five first-half drives netted 6 yards.

Mount Vernon plays its final non-district game next week, and it’s a biggie, at 3A No. 1 Solon.

Benton hosts Clear Creek Amana.

Mount Vernon 15, Benton Community 13

At Van Horne

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: MV 16, BC 13

Rushes-yards: MV 35-167, BC 30-79

Passing yards: MV 74, BC 111

Passing: MV 10-20-3, BC 11-23-0

Total yards: MV 241, BC 190

Fumbles-lost: MV 0-0, BC 1-1

Punts-average: MV 1-46, BC 3-33.7

Penalties-yards: MV 4-27, BC 4-20

SCORING SUMMARY

Mount Vernon 8 7 0 0 — 15

Benton Community 0 6 0 7 — 13

MV — Watson Krob 33 pass from Kellen Haverback (Jase Jaspers run)

BC — Dylan LeFebvere 1 run (run failed)

MV — Ethan Wood 5 run (Bennett Harp kick)

BC — Mayson Mitchell 10 pass from Carson Nolan (Elijah Kupka kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Mount Vernon — Jase Jaspers 14-75, Kellen Haverback 7-52, Ethan Wood 8-32, Michael Ryan 1-9, Cooper Hird 4-4, Team 1-(minus 5). Benton — Brenden Heying 13-55, Carson Nolan 11-13, Dylan LeFebvere 5-10, Mayson Mitchell 1-1.

Passing

Mount Vernon — Haverback 10-20-3-74. Benton — Nolan 11-21-0-111, Elijah Kupka 0-1-0-0, Team 0-1-0-0.

Receiving

Mount Vernon — Watson Krob 3-44, Jaspers 3-25, Wood 3-6, Hird 1-(minus 1). Benton — Brody Timmerman 3-25, Dawson Rozek 2-17, Eli Patterson 2-16, Gavin Brooks 1-35, Mitchell 1-10, Logan Upah 1-8, Heying 1-0.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com